The PPF equipment was acquired with institutional funds and Dr. Heath was hired to manage the facility in September, 2000. Two technologists were hired in January of 2001 and a third in July 2001. After an initial period of personnel training, equipment testing and method development, the shared resource was opened to Cancer Center investigators in July of 2001. Initially, services offered were bacterial expression, protein purification and protein crystallographic screening. In 2003, we began offering a baculovirus expression service, which has increased the usefulness to the Cancer Center investigators.